Tokyo Madmen Gezan

These Tokyo freak-out rockers Gezan can be counted on to make your Fuji Rock a bit more interesting.

Formed in Osaka but transplanted to Tokyo, Gezan has been through a lot since their 2012 Fuji Rock Rookie a Go Go appearance. Collaborations with Aoba Ichiko, Tenniscoats, LOSTAGE and Togawa Jun all leading up to last October’s release of their 4th album ‘Silence Will Speak’, recorded by none other than Steve Albini. Even Acid Mothers Temple vocalist Kawabata Makoto has said they are his favorite live band in Japan. They certainly aren’t rookies anymore.

Gezan feels a little like a sonic slot machine, you’re never quite sure what combination of rhythms and sounds will unroll next. Frequently you hit the jackpot. They are at once both full of catchy toe-tapping sensibility and uniquely sharp and jagged edges, ready to throw you a middle finger curveball as soon as you think you have figured out how to comfortably fit them into a genre. Punk, pop, screamo, industrial, hardcore and rap all thrown into a blender. Singer Mahito the People’s vocals are sharp and piercing, just on the right side of being painful. These things come through quite clearly on their recordings, especially on ‘Silence Will Speak’. Dig deeper into their back catalogue if you want to see the weird places the band’s current sound evolved from.

However, Gezan can only really be understood in the context of a live performance. The band’s blend of playfulness and earnesty. Mahito’s cocky swagger and looks, and especially his feral unpredictability. Much like the musical compositions themselves, things are liable to go from mockingly smug to legitimately fierce and rabid in the blink of an eye.  

It is a pretty sure bet that Gezan will be a unique Fuji Rock experience, so if you are looking for something fresh make sure to catch their set on Saturday.  It certainly won’t be dull.

Check out their website here

Photo: Gezan Official
Text: Jonathan Cooper